Thill-coupling



(No Model.)

B. MGGOVERN.- VTHILL GOUPLING.

No. 290,782. Pmentednm z5, 11883.

hmmag n, rgmas Phnwumogmm Y t iiNiTnn" STATES PATENT- Omen'.

` BERNARD MCGOVERN, OF BRIDGEPORT, ASSIGNOR CF ONE-HALF TO EDWARD S.SMITH, OF WATERBURY, CONNECTICUT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 290,782, dated December25, 1883.

Application med october 19,1883. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, BERNARD lvIcGovnroN, a citizen of the United States,residing at Bridgeport, in the county of Fairfield and State ofConnecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inThill-Couplings; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full,clear, and exact description ofthe invention, such as will enable othersskilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates io certain novel and useful improvements inthill-couplings, and has for its object to provide such a device inwhich the shaft-eye and metal housing for the rubber cushion shall be soconstructed and arranged that there shall be no rattling,while at thesame time the durability of the device shall be such that its use isexceedingly economical; and with these ends in view my inventionconsists in the details of construction and combination of elementshereinafter fully and in detail explained, and then specificallydesignated by the claims.

In order that those skilled in the art to which my invention appertainsmay more fully understand its construction and operation, I will proceedto describe the same in detail, referring by letters to theaccompanying` drawing, forming a part of this specification, in which isshown a side elevation of my improvement in operative position, with oneof the lugs of the clip broken away.

A is the axle, and B the clip. The construction of the clip is the sameas in any ordinary coupling, there being the regular clip-lugsprojecting forward.

C is the rubber cushion, and D the metal housing for said cushion.

E is the shaft-eye, which I constructras follows: The external contourof this eye I make different from the contour of the curve of thehousing, so that the two curves 'are not adapted to eachother, as willbe readily seen from the drawing. The contact, therefore, between thehousing and said eye is at the points only, and not throughout theentire curve, as has heretofore been the case in thill-couplings.Through the'shaft-eye I drive a hardened or steel bushing, F, the metalor stock of the thill itself being softer, for the purpose presentlyexplained.

The several parts of my improvement being in their proper and operativeposition, as shown in the drawing, the effect of the operation of theshaft and axle is as follows: All the wear on the housing is at the topand bottom, owing, of course, to the contact at these points with theshaft-eye. As said wear continues, the elasticity of the rubber cushionforces thehousing forward, thereby compensating for said wear. Thiscontinues until the friction between the eye and housing has worn themso that their curved contours correspond or are adapted to each other,and when this happens any further wear will, of course, cause rattling.The difference between the contours of the eye and housing may be madeso as to leave a considerable space between the central portion of saidhousing and the eye; but this is not necessary, as my improvementconstructed with a very small space at this point will ontlast in itsutility the ordinary run of vehicles.

In thill-couplings as at present made it is well known that thecombination of the rubber cushion, metal housing, and the shaft-eye isnot a practical success, owing to the fact that the initial wear is atthe top and bottom of the housing, and is caused, chiefly, by the manyhundred blows per minute on the axle. A source of great annoyance is therattling of the bolt which passes through the eye to secure the shaft tothe clip. Since there is considerable friction and wear at this point, Iovercome this difficulty by driving in a hardened or steel bushing, F,as hereinbefore set forth. If the bushing wears away, it can be readilyknocked out and a new one substituted therefor, which is a greatadvantage, since at pres# ent the shaft-eye itself has to be replaced byan entirely new one, thereby entailing con- IOO points of contact arehad, substantially as shown and described.

2. In a thill-coupling, the metal housing and shaft-eye constructed andarranged with their adjacent surfaces of different curves or contours,whereby their points of contact shall be at the top and bottom of saidhousing, in combination with a rubber or other elastic cushion, andmeans for securing the eye to the clip, substantially as specified.

3. In a Jchill-coupling, the eye having interiorly arranged therein ahardened or steel bushing, in combination with means for securing theeye to the clip, substantially as shown, and for the purpose specified.

4. In a thin-coupling, the combination,with the rubber or other elasticcushion and a metal housing, of a thill-eye having a steel or hardenedbushing arranged interiorly therein,and with its external curvaturedifferent from that of said housing, and means for securing said eye tothe clip, substantially as described.

' In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of twoWitnesses.

BERNARD MGGOVERN.

Vitnesses:

S. S. WILLIAMsoN, F. XV. SMITH, Jr.

